SF 566

1st Engrossment - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/06/2015 08:23am

A bill for an act
relating to human services; modifying medical assistance spenddown procedures;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 256B.056, subdivision 5.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 256B.056, subdivision 5, is amended to
read:

Subd. 5.

Excess income.

new text begin (a) new text end A person who has excess income is eligible for medical
assistance if the person has expenses for medical care that are more than the amount of
the person's excess income, computed by deducting incurred medical expenses from
the excess income to reduce the excess to the income standard specified in subdivision
5c. The person shall elect to have the medical expenses deducted at the beginning of a
one-month budget period or at the beginning of a six-month budget period.

new text begin (b) new text end The commissioner shall allow persons eligible for assistance on a one-month
spenddown basis under this subdivision to elect to pay the monthly spenddown amount
in advance of the month of eligibility to the state agency in order to maintain eligibility
on a continuous basis. If the recipient does not pay the spenddown amount on or before
the 20th of the month, the recipient is ineligible for this option for the following month.
The local agency shall code the Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) to
indicate that the recipient has elected this option. The state agency shall convey recipient
eligibility information relative to the collection of the spenddown to providers through the
Electronic Verification System (EVS). A recipient electing advance payment must pay
the state agency the monthly spenddown amount on or before the 20th of the month in
order to be eligible for this option in the following month.

new text begin (c) The commissioner shall require persons on a one-month spenddown eligible
under section 256B.055, subdivisions 7, 7a, and 12, who do not elect to pay the monthly
spenddown amount in advance as provided under paragraph (b), to pay directly to the
commissioner the monthly spenddown amount owed to providers for any services received
during the spenddown period. The commissioner shall reimburse providers for services
provided to a person during the spenddown period at the rate billed by the provider, except
that payment to the provider shall not exceed the medical assistance rate.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2015.
new text end